Stock and grain rack.



Patented Dec. 1 1914.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. E. ELDRBDGE, DECD.

n. J. ELDBBDGE, ADMINISTRATOR.

STOCK AND GRAIN RACK.

APPLICATION nnnnnno. 11, 1913.

wirbmzooeo THE NORRIS PETERS C0 PMGTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D c

F. B. BLDREDGR DECD.

R. J. ELDREDGE, ADMINISTRATOR.

STOCK AND GRAIN RACK.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.11, 1913.

1,1 1 9,585. Patented Dec. 1,1914.

3 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

i 33, 5 5. 5 P ugum/wimp wuncomzo rNE NORRIS PETERS 00.. PHOTD-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED sTATnsrATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS E. ELDBEDGE, 0F WAVERLY, IOWA; ROBERT J. ELDREDGE ADMINISTRATOR OF SAID FRANCIS E.'ELDREDGE, DECEASED.

STOCK AND GRAIN RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec.1,191 el.

Applicationfiled December 11, 1913. Serial No. 805,994.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANCIS E. ELDREDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Viaverly, in the county of Bremer and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stock and Grain Racks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of'the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to farm wagons, and more especially to the racks which are mounted upon their boxes to convert them into receptacles for stock, grain, corn, fodder, and the like; and the object of the same is to improve the construction of such a rack whereby it shall be open, light and strong so that the stock will not be suffocated or the grain sweated and it may be,

quickly and reliably attached to the wagon box or removed therefrom and stored into small compass.

These and other objects are accomplished by the construction hereinafter more fully described and claimed and as shown in the drawings wherein Figure l is a side elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan view of this improved rack applied to the box of a wagon body; Figs. 3 and 4c are sections on the lines 33 and 4-4 of Fig. 2 respectively; Fig. 5 is a rear elevation; Fig. 6 is a perspective detail showing the engagement of one upper corner of the rear or tail, panel with the top bars of the side panel; F ig. 7 is a perspective detail showing the engagement of the lower corner of the rear section with the corner of the side section; Figs. 8 and 9 are cross sections through Fig. 3 on about the lines 88 and 9-9 respectively, and drawn on a'larger scale. 1

.In the drawings I have illustrated a wagon box consisting of a platform P and upright sides S and ends E, but I have not thought it necessary to show the running gear for supporting said box, and the box itself forms no part of the present invention save that it combines with the rack yet to be described. Across the lower face of the platform P I extend about two cross bars 1, as best seen in Fig. 5, and vertically through each projecting end of the bar is disposed a hook 2 whose lower end is threaded for the reception of a hand-nut 3 and .whose upper or. hooked end 4 engages the are duplicates of each otherand two ends whicharealso'duplicates of each other, and hence it Will be necessary to describe but one of each. The top bar of each side panel is composed of two L-shaped members 5 and 6 whose upperleaves project away from each other and whose lower leaves stand parallel and are spaced by filling blocks 7 at intervals as best seen in Fig. 2, and approximately these bars are of the same length as thewagon box. The lower bar is composed of-a single L-shaped member 8 having a portion thereof disposed. directly beneath the innermost upper member 6 as best seen in Fig. 3 and. intended when in place to rest upon the side S of the body as seen in Fig. 5. These upper and lower bars are connected by channel bars 10 and 11 disposed withtheir channels toward each other, as seenin Figs. 8 and 9, the upper extremitiesof the innermost U-bars 10 resting. against the horizontal leaves of the L- member 6 as bestfs'een in Fig. 4, and their lower extremities passing down by the lower L-member 8 and forming tongues or extensions 12 standing within the wagon box as also seen in Fig. 4-, the upper extremities of the outermost U-bars 11 passing between the two uppermost members 5 and 6- and their lower extremities resting upon the horizontal leaves of said lower L-members 8. Between these ,U-shaped members is clamped a filler as of wire fabric 13, illustrated in the drawings as having certain horizontal strands 14 which pass between the U-members of each pair and have twisted or knotted extremities 15 as seen in Fig. 9 to hold the filler in place at its ends. Its upper and lower edges are tied to the upper and lower members of what might be called the frame of this side-section by means of loops or wires 16 engaging holes in the L- members as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4; and by these means the filler is stretched tightly within the frame. Finally, the U- bars 10 and 11 of each pair are drawn together and upon the filler between them, by means of bolts 18, and extensions or tongues 19 are Secured by the lowermost two or three of these bolts to the intermediate outermost U-bars and project below the lower L-memher 8 so as to cooperate with the tongues 12 and fit removably over the edge of the wagon box when the rack is applied thereto.

Each end panel of this improved rack will be best described by stating that it is made in precisely the same manner with the following exceptions: The extremities of its top bars extend beyond the extremities of its uprights of which there will be but two, and there need be no tongues (like those numbered 12 and 19) to engage the wagon box. The extremities of its bottom bar 8 are projected slightly as seen in Fig. 7 and the lower leaf thereof notched as at 20, while the upright leaf of the projecting extremity of the lower bar 8 of the side section is notched as at 21-the obvious purpose being in order to permit the projecting extremities at the corners of the end sections to engage with the projecting extremities of the corners of the side sections. The extremities of its top bars 5 and 6 are bolted as at 18 to the upper ends of its side bars 10 and 11 so as to form a right angle, and this angle is disposed at a proper point to pass into the L-member 6 as seen in Fig. 6, where it rests against the rear uprights 10, 10. These prevent the top of the end panel from falling inward, while the inner flanges of the innermost Lanembers 6, 6 prevent the end panels from rising and the interengaging notches 20, 21 at the lower ends of the panels are prevented from moving in either direction. Finally, a tie-rod 22 is passed through the L-members 5, 6 of both sides and receives av nut 23 at its threaded extremity, its other extremity having a handle 2i, and this tie-rod prevents the end panel from moving outward. The end panel at the other end of the wagon box is treated in the same way. Between said two end panels the upper edges of the side panels are preferably connected by a cross rod 25 having downturned hooked extremities 26 engaging eyes 27 in the horizontal leaves of the outermost upper L-members 5, and this holds the sides from spreading under the infiuence of the load contained within the rack.

Thus it will be seen that I have produced a rack made entirely of metal and which can be quickly attached to a wagon box of standard size without the necessity of making any change in the latter, and which when in place cannot be distorted by the weight of the load within the same or the movement of the animals in case the load is live stock, whereof either end panel may be used as a gate by means of which the rack can be loaded or unloaded, and which as a whole can be quickly removed from the wagon box and stored in small compass. Obviously, the sizes and proportions of parts are not essential, and I have given specific details of construction more for the purpose of illustration than because I wish to be confined thereto.

What is claimed as new is In a rack for wagon boxes, the combination with the side panels including L-shaped top bars whose uppermost leaves project inwardly toward each other, L-shaped bottom bars whose horizontal leaves project away from each other and whose upright leaves are notched, and uprights connecting the upper and lower bars adjacent said notches; of end panels each including a top bar adapted to pass inside the upper L-bar of the sides and rest against said uprights and a lower L-shaped bar whose horizontal leaf is notched so that its upright leaf may engage the notches in the lower bars of the sides, and a tie-rod passing through the upper side bars in rear of the upper bar of each end panel, the whole as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS ELDREDGE.

Gopies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of late'nt's,

Washington, D. C. 

